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Prolonging The Life Of The Old Dog
Prolonging the life of the old
dog depends directly on our knowledge of
the diseases of old age. The study of the diseases of old age is
called geriatrics, and it is only in recent years that it has been
subjected to systematic and critical consideration. It was not so long
ago that the treatment of the diseases of old age consisted essentially
in an effort to keep the patient comfortable, the casual administration
of drugs that would relieve pain, and the application of halfhearted
medical measures, given with a kind of benign hopelessness. The
outlook was generally a dismal one. Veterinary medicine had little
faith in its ability to combat nature in this regard. The diseases of
old age were accepted as somehow inevitable and research was therefore
not sufficiently stimulated to undertake the quest of solving the
problems involved. The result was that if a dog did live to a ripe old
age, it was due more to extraordinary vigor or to meticulous care than
to any exceptional medical efforts on the part of the veterinary
surgeon. The fact is that most dogs did not often get the opportunity
to become old. Potent diseases readily decimated their numbers while
they were still in the prime of life. There simply were not many old
dogs around. Neither the interest nor the opportunity nor the necessity
to study the diseases of old dogs seemed apparent. And science usually
records its most dramatic achievements when the interest is present,
the opportunity to study is available, and the necessity is relatively
immediate.
The situation has changed drastically in the last few decades.
Remarkable discoveries in the form of life-saving drugs and refinements
in surgical techniques have so substantially increased life expectancy
that dogs have continued to live into hoary old age in increasingly
larger numbers, until they now account for a respectable percentage of
our canine population. The mere presence of such overwhelming numbers
of old dogs supplied the interest, the opportunity, and the necessity
for the systematic study of the diseases of old age. Though geriatrics
is still in its infancy, its achievements have already been noteworthy
and it continues in ever-widening measure to contribute to our
understanding of the diseases of old age, with its consequent
prolongation of the life of our favorite pet, the dog. In this regard,
veterinary science owes an inestimable debt to human medical research.
There is no hard-and-fast rule by which old age can be strictly
defined. Some dogs, like some people, grow old at an earlier age than
others. The life span of the average dog ranges from about nine to
thirteen years, though cases of dogs living from fifteen to twenty
years are not uncommon. We would be safe, then, in classifying as aged
dogs those from about eight to ten years old, while being aware of
individual differences wherein animals might become old below or above
this range.
Old age is specifically characterized by the appearance of gray hair
under the lips and around the nose, with gradual extension to the
region of the eyes and to the forehead. The ends of the digits become
enlarged and the claws have a tendency to become curved and elongated.
Often the muzzle also becomes enlarged. In some animals, especially
those that are affected with a chronic skin irritation of the back and
loins, there may be a partial loss of hair and a general thickening of
the skin in the diseased area. The appearance of warts is quite common
in many breeds. As a dog gets older, the color of the pupil of the
normal eye seems to change gradually from deep blue to whitish. Some
dogs have a tendency to increase somewhat in weight, but most often
there is a gradual loss of weight and dehydration of the tissues of the
body. That there is a
gradual though obvious loss of vigor goes almost without saying.
Old age is further characterized by a gradual degeneration of the
various organs of the body. The diseases that cause these degenerations
are our primary concern in the treatment of the diseases of old age.
Prolonging the life of the old dog depends upon our ability to prevent
these diseases from taking place and our efforts to retard their
development once they have appeared. These are very challenging
problems that demand all the resources that the veterinarian has at his
disposal.
The most common degenerative diseases that are the direct concern of
geriatrics are discussed in detail throughout this website. They will
be
reviewed here briefly in a general way, with emphasis upon suggestions
on how to prolong the life of the old dog.
Possibly the most common area of degeneration in old dogs is the
kidney. It is safe to say that the large majority of old dogs that live
out their natural lives die ultimately of some form of kidney
degeneration. Dogs with kidney troubles may vomit intermittently; be
sensitive to pressure over the kidneys; have excessive, diminished, or
abnormally colored urinations, and intermittent lameness of one or both
hind legs; present an arched back or other signs of abdominal pain;
have an unpredictable appetite; and may be depressed to a variable
degree. Positive diagnosis is established on the basis of urine and
blood analyses, and treatment depends upon the nature of the ailment.
With kidney degenerations, as with degenerations of any other organ,
treatment is always most successful in the early stages. While complete
success in arresting the degenerative process is rarely if ever
possible, prompt treatment can often retard the development of the
degeneration to the point where the animal's life may be comfortably
extended for several years. The alert owner who detects any of the
above-mentioned symptoms should have the pet examined without
unnecessary delay.
Degenerations of the lungs are also extremely common. The best-known of
these conditions is asthma, which is characterized by the appearance
of a persistent cough, of a variable degree of depth, that becomes
more raucous as the condition progresses. The veterinarian diagnoses
the condition by observing the symptoms and by detecting asthmatic
sounds with the stethoscope. Treatment usually is only alleviatory,
since no cure for asthma has been determined. Mild cases of asthma are
no deterrent to the well-being of old dogs, and, with relatively simple
treatment, most dogs that are affected with it are permitted to live
out their natural lives. In very severe cases, the animal is so
uncomfortable that it is often put painlessly to sleep to avoid
unnecessary suffering for the animal. The dog owner should remember
that the disease should be treated while it is still mild and while
treatment can still be reasonably effective.
Heart ailments are fairly common in older dogs. They may occur
independently, but will be noted most often in asthmatic animals. The
only symptom of which the pet owner may be aware is an occasional
fainting spell. Diagnosis is often extremely subtle and difficult, and
treatment is usually based on the effort to strengthen heart action and
to retard any degenerative process. Here again, the owner should be
reminded that since asthma and heart trouble often come together in
older dogs, a fainting spell should always be given proper
consideration. Also, since the signs of asthma are so much more
apparent than those of heart trouble, and since asthma can actually
cause certain heart ailments, any cough in old dogs should be looked
upon as a serious symptom.
While teeth are not essential to life in the dog, dental troubles can
cause discomfort in the dog and often impair its appetite. Thus it is
imperative that the dog whose life we intend to prolong have a healthy
mouth. Older dogs often develop heavy incrustations of tartar on the
teeth. The tartar presses against the gums, causing recession and
sloughing of the gum tissue, with a consequent loosening of the teeth
in their sockets. A nauseating odor is given off by the mouth.
In rare instances, dogs have been known to ultimately die from the
absorption of toxic materials from inflamed gums due to bad teeth. The
teeth should be cleaned periodically and loose teeth should be removed.
Even if all the teeth have to be removed, it should not cause the
owner undue concern. The function of the teeth of the dog is not so
much to chew food as to tear it to bits. By grinding up and dicing the
dog's food the owner accomplishes the essential task of the teeth. The
toothless dog fed in this manner will thrive quite well. It is apparent
that if the dog is to be maintained in the most vigorous state of
health, the teeth should be given proper attention. If they are cleaned
about twice a year after the age of five, or whenever it may be
necessary, it is very unlikely that any serious dental troubles will
ever be encountered.
To prolong the life of the old dog, it is well to keep the animal free
of parasites and to alleviate skin irritations as soon as they appear.
While skin irritations are not in themselves fatal, they cause great
unrest and can readily lead to depletion and exhaustion in the aged
animal. This can lead to lack of appetite and sometimes have many dire
consequences.
Eye irritations and degenerations are also very common. Eye
degenerations sometimes progress with great rapidity, and when they
progress too far are often difficult or impractical to treat. In order
to avoid serious consequences, the owner is advised to give eye
conditions in old dogs immediate veterinary attention no matter how
insignificant they might appear. That these eye conditions are most
often purely local in character and have a negligible effect on the
longevity of the animal is obvious, but the end result might easily
lead to blindness, and if this occurs the life of the pet is hardly
worth living.
While cancerous growths may appear in dogs of any age, they are
apparently more common in older dogs and especially in females. The
disastrous consequences of this dread disease has been amply publicized
in the human family, and it may be emphasized that they are just as bad
in the dog.
The conscientious pet owner should always seek professional advice
regarding any growth that may appear on the animal, for neglect in this
instance might easily lead to death, while timely surgical intervention
can very often save the animal's life.
There are many other diseases of a relatively minor nature that should
be given proper attention: such conditions as neuralgia, rheumatism,
and the like—in other words, all those conditions which tend to add to
the animal's discomfort. The animal that will lead a long life is
usually the one that always feels well. The animal that is always in a
state of semi-discomfort may in time lose its desire to live.
Of paramount importance are good hygiene, proper feeding, and frequent
grooming. The animal should be kept in clean, comfortable, and airy
quarters. Fresh water should be available at all times. The animal
should be given sufficient exercise to meet its needs. It is clear that
the old dog does not have the vigor of a puppy and its exercise
requirements become modified as it becomes older. The client should be
in constant touch with his veterinarian in order to know the exercise
requirements of the individual animal. These requirements will
naturally vary with the size, breed and general background of the
animal in question. Obviously a dog that has hunted all its life or one
that has been brought up on a farm will require more exercise than the
sedentary animal or one that is city-bred.
Proper feeding will vary with the age, disposition, and state of health
of the individual animal. Animals that present early symptoms of
certain degenerative diseases will be fed differently from those that
do not present such symptoms. Certain dogs will demand greater vitamin
supplements than others. Some will require larger quantities of meat
protein, while with others, different sources of protein may prove more
desirable. If these feeding requirements are met, longevity is almost
sure to be enhanced. Any modification in ration should always be
determined by the veterinarian.
Proper grooming and bathing will prolong the life of a dog indirectly.
They will discourage external parasites and will make the
animal generally more comfortable. The animal should be given a
thorough daily combing, and during the warmer seasons of the year it is
advisable to clip the hair of certain breeds. Proper grooming will
prevent a considerable variety of diseases, and the comfort that will
be derived from it will encourage the animal to live with the
delightful zest that pet lovers like to see in their dogs.
To summarize, we may fall back on the super-prosaic maxim that an ounce
of prevention is worth a pound of cure. If the owner can be impelled to
make an honest effort to cooperate with his veterinarian in preventing
disease and in treating disease without delay whenever it should happen
to strike, there is every likelihood that he will be blessed with a
happy and healthy pet for a good long time to come.
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